Fantasy Upside
Chase Edmonds had 903 scrimmage yards in 2021 before heading to Miami last season. He couldn’t quite find a role in Miami so he was traded to Denver. Heading into 2023, Edmonds joins a decent situation in Tampa Bay. He’ll likely play handcuff again, but with Leonard Fournette out of the picture, there should be a good role for Edmonds with the Bucs. Fournette is leaving behind 73 receptions, and in Edmonds final two seasons with the Cardinals he had 96 receptions for 713 yards.
Fantasy Downside
Edmonds didn’t look great last season, spending time on two teams. He averaged just 3.6 yards per carry after averaging 4.7 ypc during his time in Arizona. And while he likely will have a role as a handcuff player, the Bucs have a clear RB1 in Rachaad White. And White proved to be a capable receiving threat himself, so Edmonds doesn’t offer up much of a different skill set for the Bucs.
2023 Bottom Line
Edmonds isn’t much more than a late-round flier in redraft leagues this season. He’ll mostly be a handcuff back for White managers, or league managers hoping for a White injury. Edmonds could have some value as a bye-week filler depending on just how much he gets used in the Bucs offense, but for now he doesn’t offer a ton of value. We have him projected around 600-700 scrimmage yards.
Week 17 at Kansas City Chiefs
Chase Edmonds looks locked into a third-down and pass catching role out of the Broncos' backfield, but he is still ceding early-down carries to Latavius Murray in a completely dysfunctional offense. Edmonds projects for extra work this week with the Broncos projected to get destroyed by the Chiefs, but he is not someone to count on for reliable fantasy production in his current environment.
Week 8 at Detroit Lions
Chase Edmonds saw a decrease in playing time last week, but an increase in touches. He played on just 18 offensive snaps (29%), and ran the ball seven times for 17 yards. Edmonds saw two targets out of the backfield, but failed to get a catch. Heading into the season, we thought Miami would lean on Edmonds as a receiving threat, but he has just 10 total receptions through seven games. Edmonds gets a great matchup this week against the Lions, but he's not quite seeing enough touches to make him a viable option. We wouldn't consider playing Edmonds in Week 8.
Week 7 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
After Chase Edmonds was barely utilized in Week 5 (he saw just 10 offensive snaps), he came back with a decent performance in Week 6. Edmonds ran the ball twice for three yards and caught both of his two targets for 28 yards. More importantly, he played on 40% of the offensive snaps, which is the most he's seen in a game since Week 3. While he saw some increased usage, Edmonds still isn't quite seeing enough touches to make him relevant in fantasy. We probably wouldn't fully cut ties with him, unless you play in shallow leagues, but he's likely best left on your bench for Week 7.
Week 5 at New York Jets
Chase Edmonds found the end zone again last week, but that's about all he did. Edmonds played a season-low 28% of the offensive snaps (his previous low was 44%) and had just 20 scrimmage yards on seven touches. After seeing 12 carries in Week 1, Edmonds has seen five, six and five carries in the games that followed. He also hasn't been the PPR threat we expected with just eight receptions through four games. He remains a red zone threat, but his lack of production elsewhere is concerning, as is his decreased playing time. He'll be a low-end RB3 or flex play this week in a decent matchup vs. the Jets.
Week 4 at Cincinnati Bengals
In a general sense, Chase Edmonds did not play well last week. In a fantasy sense, he had a good game as he managed to find the end zone twice on short goal line carries. Outside of the two scores, though, Edmonds didn't provide much. He ran just six times for 21 yards and had just one target, which he caught for six yards. He was also out-snapped by Raheem Mostert (24-19) and out-touched (8-7). Edmonds has provided very little to start the season, rushing a combined 23 times for just 79 yards through three games. He gets a fairly tough matchup against the Bengals this week, who are giving up an average of 68 rush yards to running backs this year. With the matchups, his limited touches, and split duties with Mostert, it's hard to get very excited about Edmonds. He'll be a low-end flex play in Week 4.
Week 3 vs. Buffalo Bills
Chase Edmonds wasn't utilized much in Week 2, which is disappointing considering the Dolphins scored 42 points. Edmonds finished with five carries for 33 yards (with a long of 28) and had three targets, catching just one pass for eight yards. The good news is he was still involved in the offense, playing on 51% of the offensive snaps. The bad news is he wasn't productive, and Raheem Mostert ended up with more touches (14). Edmonds gets a tough matchup vs. the Bills this week, so we're not projecting a great game for him. He should be viewed as a low-end flex play in Week 3.
Week 2 at Baltimore Ravens
Chase Edmonds had a solid Week 1 game, finishing with 12 carries for 25 yards while seeing four targets and finishing 4-40 through the air. The lack of rushing yards isn't a surprise given how good New England's defense was last season. But the 16 touches, as well as Edmonds' involvement as a receiver, are good signs. Edmonds also played a solid 63% of the offensive snaps. Unfortunately, the rushing struggles will likely continue into Week 2 as he draws another tough matchup against the Ravens. We'd expect Edmonds to finish similar to what he did in Week 1. He should be viewed as a low-end RB2 or a strong RB3/flex play.
Week 1 vs. New England Patriots
Chase Edmonds is expected to be the lead back in Miami, something he's never really been in his career. The Dolphins release Sony Michel during roster cuts, which gets rid of another potential threat for touches. Edmonds is now just splitting touches with Raheem Mostert, but we wouldn't expect too big of a split. Edmonds should still see around 15 touches, making him a valuable asset in fantasy. The downside in Week 1 is he faces a tough Patriots defense. New England wasn't as tough vs. the run as the pass last season, but it's still a strong unit. Edmonds should be viewed as a solid RB2 play to begin the year.
2022 Fantasy Upside
Chase Edmonds played well last season while splitting touches in Arizona. Edmonds averaged 75.2 scrimmage yards per game as he was utilized as a runner and receiving threat. In the offseason he signed a solid contract to play in Miami where he should be first on the depth chart. Edmonds was 8th among running backs (who played 10+ games) in receptions per game last season (3.58) and he should continue that role in Miami. We know Miami likes throwing to their running backs as Myles Gaskin was 8th in total receptions by the position last year. Edmonds should also see plenty of work on the ground as he shines in a zone-blocking run scheme, which is the system new HC Mike McDaniel is likely to use.
2022 Fantasy Downside
Edmonds enters a crowded backfield in Miami. Not only did the Dolphins bring in Edmonds this offseason, but they also added Raheem Mostert and Sony Michel. Not to mention Gaskin, Miami’s most productive back last season, is still on the roster. There’s also the issue with Miami’s offensive line, which 4for4’s Justin Edwards ranked 24th in the league. Edmonds has never topped 1,000 scrimmage yards in a season, and he’s unlikely to in 2022 as he’ll play in a committee. Edmonds has also never been a big scoring threat, scoring just twice last season on 159 touches.
2022 Bottom Line
There are legit concerns about Edmonds’ situation in a crowded backfield in Miami. But the 26-year-old back landed in a good situation overall. He should continue to shine as a receiving threat, and should have a sizable role as a rusher. He offers more value in half-PPR and full PPR leagues since he isn’t likely to be a scoring machine in the red zone. Currently, Edmonds offers a lot of value in fantasy drafts with an ADP near round 10.
